Browsing by Author "Ji, Minjun"

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    The impact of environmental and host factors on wolbachia density and efficacy as a biological tool
    (Decoding Infection and Transmission, 2023-11-15) Padde, John Roberts; Lu, Qingyu; Long, Yuang; Zhang, Donghui; Hou, Min; Chen, Lu; Xu, Zhipeng; Chen, Lin; Ji, Minjun
    Wolbachia, a bacterium found naturally in some species of Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, has gained significant attention for it's potential in controlling mosquito-borne diseases and suppressing mosquito populations. However, Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blockage, Wolbachia dynamics in field populations and vertical transmission have been reported to be density-dependent. Several factors, including host genetics, diet, temperature, and co-infections can influence Wolbachia titers within its host. The interplay between these factors can have significant influence on the effectiveness of Wolbachia-mediated pathogen blockage and cytoplasmic incompatibility. However, there is a knowledge gap regarding the regulation of Wolbachia density within its host, which could affect its effectiveness as a biocontrol tool. Therefore, this review aims to understand the complex tripartite association between the environment, host, and endosymbiont, and how these relationships are crucial in harnessing the full potential of Wolbachia as a biological tool. Further, we highlight how host, pathogen, and environmental factors influence Wolbachia density and how their interplay can impact CI and WMPB. We further review the strategies adopted to maintain/control Wolbachia densities in field populations.
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    Novel anti-inflammatory peptide alleviates liver ischemia-reperfusion injury
    (Journal of Biomedical Research, 2024-04-30) Xu, Xuejun; Sun, Kaineng; Chang, Hao; Shen, Chunxiang; Li, Xiangdong; Ni, Yangyue; Zhu, Yuxiao; Wang, Huiquan; Xiong, Ruiyan; Padde, Jon Rob; Xu, Zhipeng; Chen, Lin; Chen, Lu; Hou, Min; Pu, Liyong; Ji, Minjun
    Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains inevitable in liver surgeries, macrophages play a critical role in the development of IRI, but little is known about the macrophages regulate pathogenesis of IRI. Based on target guided screening, we identified a small 3 kDa peptide (SjDX5-271) from various schistosome egg-derived peptides that induced M2 macrophage polarization. SjDX5-271 treatment protected the mice against liver IRI through promoting M2 macrophage polarization, the protective effect was abrogated when the macrophages were depleted. Transcriptomic sequencing showed that the TLR signaling pathway was significantly inhibited in macrophages derived from the SjDX5-271 treatment group. We further identified that SjDX5-271 promotes M2 macrophage polarization by inhibiting the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway and further alleviates hepatic inflammation in liver IRI. Collectively, SjDX5-271 exhibits promising therapeutic effects in IRI and represents a novel therapeutic approach for IRI, even in immune-related diseases. This study revealed the development of a new biologic from the parasite and enhanced our understanding of host-parasite interplay, providing a blueprint for future therapies for immune-related diseases.